Paneled structure



Nov. 12,A 1935. c. A. JOHNSON PANELED STRUCTURE Filed July 5l, 1934 Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE PANELED STRUCTURE Application July 31, 1934, Serial No. 737,5136

3 Claims.

This invention relates to paneled structures of the kind which comprise a panel of glass, metal or other material, and a metal panel frame in which the panel is mounted and supported. Paneled constructions of this sort are employed in metal doors, windows, partitions and the like, in which the glass or other panel is secured in a metal frame ordinarily comprising side and end bars, stiles or rails, each of which may be made of sheet metal and oi hollow or tubular formation.

One object of my invention is to provide a paneled structure of this nature which is exceedingly simple and inexpensive but which nevertheless provides a light but strong, rigid frame in which the panel can be readily mounted and securely held. s

Other objectsare to provide a panel securing stop or molding which is adjustably retained in place by engagement with the frame without the need for screws or other fastenings and in such a way as to enable the use of panels of different thicknesses; also to provide a paneled structure in which each rail of the panel frame may be formed from a singlepiece of sheet metal bent to provide a hollow rail with anintegral, fixed panel molding or stop against which' the panel is secured by a removable or adjustable molding or stop which is retained in place by engagement in a groove formed in the rail, without the necessity for other fastening or securing means; and also to improve metal paneled structures inthe other respects vhereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a iront elevation of va paneled frame embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of one corner of the frame, a portion of one of the removable stop strips being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an exploded cross sectional view of the bottom rail of the frame on line Ii-t, Fig. 2.

The paneled structure comprises a panel ill, which may be of glass, metal or other material, and a surrounding frame Il in which the panel is mounted and supported. -This frame is composed of metal bars or rails suitably joined at` their ends to form a rigid open frame, and each of these rails is preferably formed of a single piece or strip of sheet metal bent into hollow or tubular cross sectional shape. To form the rail of the rectangular cross section, shown in Fig. 3, the sheet is bent to form opposite, parallel side walls I2 and I3, and outer and innerparallel edge or cross walls it and i5, but it will beunderstood that the cross sectional shape of the hollow rail may vary, depending upon the purpose for which the paneled frame is to be used or the 5 formation of the structure in which it is to be incorporated. One side wall i2 of the rail shown is wider than the opposite side wall I3, and the inner edge wall I5 joins and is attached to the wide side wall i2 between its opposite edges, thus m) leaving the inner edge of the side wall l2 projecting beyond the edge wall I5 and forming a fixed, projecting ange or panel molding or stop It. Il'he opposite edge of the sheet metal strip forming the rail is folded back upon. itself parallel 15 with and close to the inner edge wall I5, thus forming a narrow, outwardly opening groove I'i between this edge and the wall i5, and the folded inner edge of the wall i5 is rigidly attached to the side wall i2, as by electric welding, indicated 20 at i3. The several bars or rails of this'hollow formation may be rigidly joined together at their ends to form the panel frame Il in any suitable way. For instance, the rails may be made with bevelled 25 ends and welded together along the diagonal, dotted lines It at the corners of the frame. I'he panel-frame thus formed has hollow rails with integral, longitudinal flanges forming a continuous, iixed br rigid stop or molding at one side of 30 the inner perimeter of the frame against which one face of the glass or other panel ,Ill is adapted to abut.

The panel it is retained in place in the frame against this fixed stop by separate or detached 35 molding strips or stops 2t each of which extends lengthwise of one frame rail and has an attaching flange 2i adaped to enter the groove il and lie ilat against the inner edge wall I5 of the rail, and a stop flange 22 which extends toward 40 and is adapted to abut against the face of the panel opposite to that against which the fixed stop bears. Preferably, the groove Il for receiving the attaching ange 2i of this stop strip is of such width that the ange iits tightly in the 45 groove and has to be forced or driven into the groove so that the ilange .2i will be gripped between the opposite Walls of the groove il and tightly and securely retained in place in the groove il, and the groove is ofl such depth that the stop flange can extend to a greater or less distance into the groove, thus adapting the stop strip to be adjusted in the groove to bear against and properly hold panels of diierent thicknesses.

' The ends of the separate stop strips are prefer-'55 ably bevelled so as to meet in miter joints at the corners of the frame, thus adapting these stops to be readily placed in position in the grooves I1 in the frame and pressed inwardly tightly against the face of the panel notwithstanding variations in the thickness of the panel, in which pomtion the stop will be retained by the pressure of the walls of the groove I1 on the flange 2| of the stop. The pressure of the panel against the flange 22 of the stop creates a leverage which causes the other flange 2l to bind in the groove il and thus firmly secure the stop in dierent adjustments in the groove. IIhe stop is therefore adapted to nrmly and securely hold panels of one or another thickness in place in the frame between the fixed and movable stops. The fixed stop I6 and the stop ange 22 of the removable stop may be of the connguration shown, or of any other desired form or face configuration to provide more or less ornamental molding strips around the edges of the panel.

The flanges ofthe removable stops may be of such proportions that when the stops are pressed into place in holding contact with the face of the panel, the outer faces of the removable stops may be flush with or offset slightly inwardly or outwardly from the outer face of the panel frame, thereby producing a desired finished effect in the frame. Water tight joints can be made between the frame and the panel by suitable packings, such as gummed packing tape 23 applied to the edges of the panel, as shown in Fis. 3.

In the case of breakage of a glass panel in the frame constructed'as described, the broken glass can be removed, and this permits the removablestops to -be readily detached by prying them out of their grooves Il by means of a suitable tool or implement inserted between the fixed and removable stops. If it is desired to remove an unbroken panel for replacement by a different panel, or for any other reason, this can be done by providing a small hole in one end of one removable stop strip so as to enable the insertion of a tool or implement in the hole and by means of which the stop strip can be pulled out. After one stop strip has thus been removed, a tool or implement can be readily engaged with the exposed ends of the other stop strips to permit them to be disengaged from the frame.

I claim as my invention:

1. A panel structure comprising a rail having opposite side walls, a cross wall extending from one side wall to the other and rigidly connecting the same, a projecting fixed panel stop at one side of the rail, and a narrow deep grooveformed s by said cross wall and a fixed wall at the cuter side of the cross wall, said groove opening laterally away from said stop. and a separate stop strip having an attaching flange which enters said groove, and a panel holding flange disposed 10 opposite to and cooperating with said fixed stop to secure the panel between said stops, said groove having substantially parallel opposite walls which bear against opposite faces of said attaching flange and secure said flange in dif- 15 ferent adjustments in said groove to suit panels of different thicknesses.

2. A panel structure comprising a hollow rail having opposite side walls and consisting of a single metal sheet bent into the form of a tube, 20 one edge of said sheet projecting out from the tube and forming a fixed panel stop along one side of the inner edge of the rail, and the opposite bent edge of the sheet being folded upon itself and forming a narrow longitudinal groove 25 along said inner edge of the rail and opening laterally away from said stop, said folded edge of the sheet forming a cross wall extending from one side wallof the rail to and attached at its `fold to the other side wall of the rail and a sep 30 arate stop strip having a flange which nts and is retained in said groove, and a flange forming a panel stop disposed opposite to and cooperating with said fixed stop to secure a panel between said stops. 35

3. A panel structure comprising a rail consisting of a single bent sheet of metal forming opposite side walls and a cross edge wall joining said side walls, one longitudinal edge of said sheet forming a projecting fixed panel stop along o one side of said rail, the other longitudinal edge of the sheet which forms the cross wall being folded upon itself and attached at the fold to the side wall having the fixed-stop and forming with said cross wall a groove opening laterally'45' away from said fixed stop, and a separate stop strip having a flange which fits and is retained in said groove, and a ange forming a panel stop disposed opposite to and cooperating with said fixed stop to secure a panel between said stops. o

` CARL A. JOHNSON. 

